updated 06:18 pm EST, Thu January 23, 2014

O2 adds price rise clause to contracts to avoid Ofcom rule changes

British carrier O2 has updated its contracts, requiring new customers and subscribers who upgrade to agree to a price plan increase every year. The change, noted byEngadget, comes after UK regulator Ofcom clarified rules that allowed customers to exit a contract early without penalty their contracts are changed mid-commitment, except in specific circumstances. As O2 has managed to find a loophole, it is likely that other carriers in the United Kingdom may employ similar tactics in the future, in order to earn more from their customers without the early termination risk.

Google has built the functionality of its hands-free voice search extension into Chromium. The update, spotted byFrancois Beaufort, allows users to say "OK Google" before speaking their search terms, with added configuration options turning the functionality off after five minutes and to also allow it in Incognito mode. It is unknown when Google will add the same voice prompt detection into the full Chrome browser.